Resilient wheel.



v H. L. RICE.

RBSILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILE-D 0012s, 1911.

' Patented Dec. 17,1912.

'HARBY L. RICE,- or cnrnnowan, ivirssounr.

' RESILIENT WHEEL.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY L. Bron, a citizen of the UnitedStatesiof America, residing at Chilhowec, in the county ofJohnson and State of Missouri, have invented certain I new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to resilient wheels, and has for its primary object to providean improved construction, combination, and arrangement of parts in devicesfof .this character whereby they may be, simply and economically constructed and rendered durable and-efficient in service. g

One of theobjects of the present inven-' -tion 'isto provide an improved resilient mount for the hub by means of which said hub shall receive *a resi ient support from all portions of the rim of'the wheel at the same time in whatever. position the wheel may be. Toward the attainmentof this object m invention contemplates the provision 0 bowed resilient members which are supported at each end from the folly of the wheel, and which are slidably secured to said hub in such manner as to cushion the hub from below, and to resiliently suspend said hub'from above from the telly during .l is

the rotation of the Wheel.

Another object is" to provide improved means whereby said bowed supports can be rigidly supported at one ,end to adapt the wheel for propelling a self-moving vehicle,

and resiliently supported: at the other end to securean increased resiliency in the mount. Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a. wheel constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a radial fragmentary section on the line II-II, Fig.

i 1., Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary section on the line III-IILFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line IVIV, Fig 3. 2

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention shown therein, a driving hub -1 is provided with an annular flange 2 suitable for the apx plication of braking means to the internal and external surfacesthereof. In the present adaptation of my invention, I pref rspecification of Letters Patent. p A ncau'on ma October 23, 191i.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912. Serial No. 656,246. L

ably employ a channel shaped rim or'felly 3, within which is seated a solid rubber. tire 4; which is held in position by the usual binding wiresti.

The hub 1 is resiliently supported from the felly 3 by means of the bowed .mem-

bers comprising a'main leaf 6 and a rein:

order to provide means for rigidly mountmg each of the bowedmembersfrom the felly of the wheel, I preferably employia plurality of short channel shaped sections 9 which are secured at intervals to the'rim or felly 3, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. A

stiffening piece 10 is secured atone end to the inner flange of each channel section 39:, its other end suit-ably bending to conform to the inner face 'ofth'e rim 3 and being secured thereby by rivets.

A bearingplate 11 securedto the web on thecha-nnel 9 serves to position the pint-1e 12, whereby one end of the leaf 6 is hinged to the fiired support. The other endof the leaf 6 1s hinged by the pintle 13 to the inner end of the leaf of the resilient support 14 which has its outer end 15 rigidly secured to the rim 3. I

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the slidable connection between each ofthe bowed resilient members and the hub 6 will be readily understood. Preferably, this connection is made by means of a grooved strap 16 which is secured by suitable fasteners, such as the bolts 17', to the hub 1. As shown forcing leaf 7, the ends of said leavesibeing secured together by means of bands 8.. In

in Fig. 4, the inner face of the strap 16 is rounded to'adapt it to slidably engage the bowed support without undesirableinterference.

The advantages to be derived from my improved wheel in action will now be readily understood, and briefly related are as fol- .lows, it of course being understood that while I have, for the sake of clearness in the drawing, employed only four bowed.sup ports, .any desired number may be employed.

Referring now more especially to Fig. 1,

it will be seen that the hub .rests directly upon the bowed center of the lowermost resilient member, being thereby cushioned from the lower portion of the rim 3. At'the same time, the uppermost bowed member, by

reason'of its connection to the hub 1 by means of the bearing strap 16, serves to resiliently"suspend the hub 1 from the upper edge of. the rim. In addition, the hub 1 is afforded an efficient lateral support by the bowed members on either side. By multiplying the number of bowed members employed, it will be appreciated that the hub 1 will-receive a resilient cushioning and suspension support from all points of the rim, and said supports will be operative continuously during the varying movements of the wheel. Let it be supposed now that power be applied to the hub 1 in any suitable manner to drive the wheel in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the strap 16 will grip the bowed supports at the moments of starting and increasin the speed, so that the tangential efiort wil be transmitted directly to the fixed supports mounted on the inner base of the {rim 3. At the same time the fiexible'connection on the other end of each bowed member, with the resilient supportl l, will serve to impart the desired resiliency.

What I claim is: I

1. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a rim, of aplurality of bowed springs, each of said springs having one end hinged to a part rigid with thenm, and its other end hinged to a part resiliently Supported by the rim, and a hub resiliently engaging each of said springs intermediately of their springs, said ends; said hub being provided with bearings slidably engaging said sprin s.

2. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a rim, of a hub provided with a peripheral bearing surface, rigid supports mounted on the inner face of said, rim, leaf springs spaced from said rigid supports, and bowed springs slidably engaging bearing surface of said hub, and each having one end connected to a fixed'support and its other end connected to the free en of one of said leaf springs.

the peripheral 3. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a rim, of a hub, a plurality of.leaf springs each being secured at one end to the inner wall of sa d rim and projecting inwardly in a direction normal to a radius of the wheel, and main leaf springs secured at one end to portions rigid with the rim and having their other ends connected" respectively to the inner ends of the first saidleaf main leaf springs being bowed inwardly toward the center of the wheel with the central portions thereof in slidable engagement with said hub.

- HARRY'L. RICE. In the presence of i- WM. SWEENEY, R. E. SWEENEY. 

